Jaguars Grab QB Gabbert in a Draft Day Deal with Washington

The Jags moved quickly to wheel and deal with the Redskins on Thursday night, and with the 10th overall pick used it to pick who they must feel will be the QB of the club’s future – Blaine Gabbert of Missouri.

Here’s our scouting report on Gabbert:

Strengths: Ideal combination of size and athleticism for the position. Has a live arm and can make all the NFL throws; arm strength is very good. Shows good zip and accuracy in the intermediate passing game between the numbers. Good footwork when having to reset his delivery and throw from inside the pocket.

Throwing motion is compact and ball comes off his hand well with good release quickness. Has the mobility to buy extra time outside the pocket with better than adequate running speed to make plays with his legs on the run. Shows a pump fake and shoulder shrug to hold the deep safety when he intends to make downfield throws. Was the first quarterback to beat conference rival Oklahoma since 1988; most efficient performance of the season.

Needs Improvement: Isn’t a natural passer and will leave the pocket prematurely. Gets happy feet when he senses the outside rush and takes off to run before pass route has fully developed. Throwing angles and lower body mechanics are off/on. Struggles with deep accuracy and timing, I counted 12 over/under throws on the deep patterns in three of his games I evaluated (five in one game), with the same problem occurring in other games I evaluated. Doesn’t fully stride into all of his throws and open up his hips, leading to inconsistency with his accuracy and ball velocity.

Matt’s Take: It wouldn’t have been a shock to see the Redskins take Gabbert, but for Jacksonville to take him, that’s a bit of a shock. David Garrard wasn’t awful for the Jags a year ago, but Jack Del Rio’s job is on the line, and for whatever reason he must feel he needs to inject some youth at the QB spot, but there’s many that don’t think Gabbert is ready. He isn’t. It’s an odd pick, but one Jacksonville must think will pay off in 2011 or beyond.